Chapter 77: Group Activity
There are twenty people in the consulting room today. Arthur made five groups with four people each. Willow, Kash, and Cillian were in a group, while Ivy and Melissa didn’t join them. The point of this activity is to talk with each other about life.
Another woman, whom they didn’t know, began to introduce herself since she was part of their group.
"H-hello, my goodness. You three are so young to be here. My name is Betty. I’m a farmer from the outskirts of the Viola Family’s lands. Sir Arthur, whom I consulted before, invited me to be here and has been receiving sponsors from him."
Betty is an old woman, probably in her mid-sixties, as wrinkles appeared on her forehead and neck. Her hands spoke of experience as a farmer who excelled in this field. She had a warm expression as she looked at the group as if they were her grandsons and granddaughters.
Cillian, who didn’t want to leave Betty alone to be everything, spoke next as he looked at the group.
"Good afternoon, Ma’am Betty. My name is Cillian Sparrow, a student from the Sorcery Academy. I don’t like talking too much, but I’ll make an exception just for you, ma’am."
If there was one thing Cillian had taken to heart on Earth and brought into this world, it was his respect for elderly people.
Of course, those who disrespected him first will not receive the same treatment, and he’ll talk trash to them if he ever finds out about it, but Betty was an unknown human being to him. A good one, that is.
Besides, Cillian thought of Betty as someone who looked like a grandmother to him. Who knew what kind of experience she had gone through to get a consultation?
"Oh my, you’re quite a well-mannered kid."
"Hahaha, thank you for your kind words, ma’am."
Kash and Willow wore complicated expressions as they watched Cillian act like a normal human being toward another person for the first time.
Throughout the time they had seen him, he was either an arrogant prick, a smart confident bastard who liked to play around, or a straight-up bully who had different kinds of rumors surrounding him. That was what they knew through observing him from afar.
But Cillian was acting respectfully to someone.
It was a first for them.
Willow, who was still looking at Cillian weirdly, let out a short cough before introducing herself to Betty.
"Good Afternoon, Ma’am Betty. My name is Willow Montolov. I’m also a student from the academy. I hope we can have a good time in today’s session. If you don’t mind, may I lead today’s session?"
"Sure, you may lead, Ma’am. Haha, I want to be respectful to a Montolov as much as possible, so I’ll call you that, is that all right?"
"Ma’am, you don’t really need to do that! Just call me Willow at all. I don’t mind!"
Willow waved her hand to disagree with being called Ma’am by someone who is decades older than her, which made her embarrassed. Willow then saw Betty smile warmly at her, which softened her heart.
Then Betty calmly said.
"Willow it is."
"Yes!"
’So she’s really not that ice-cold queen that we usually see in school. Even Kash is shocked. Well, I did see her in pajamas... but she’s sleepy there, so maybe it doesn’t count?’
Cillian mused inwardly while looking at Kash, whose mouth was agape, in an "O" shape as he watched Willow acting not herself.
Kash, who still couldn’t forget how Cillian’s attitude changed, had the greatest shock upon seeing Willow like this.
Then, with a light cough, he introduced himself while scratching his head.
"Good afternoon, Ma’am Betty. I’m Kash Brown. These two are my classmates from the same homeroom. And wow, I’m discovering something new today."
Both Cillian and Willow glared at Kash, who avoided their gaze by faking a whistle. His saliva kept spewing on Willow, and he eventually stopped.
"Little kids."
Betty called out to them that made the three turn their heads.
"Tell me about your life before the Academy. Then, how did the three of you meet? I want to hear the stories of young ins like you all."
"I’ll start, ma’am! You see, I love stargazing! It’s my hobby!"
Kash raised his hand, proactively speaking first since Willow still couldn’t stop staring at him with a death glare. He talks about his hobby, how loving his family, how his teacher was very strict about his lessons when he was still a kid, and much more.
Betty listened to it warmly.
Willow came up next, describing how all she did before coming to the Academy was study politics during the day and sorcery through the night. It was an endless cycle of becoming a proper noble as the next family head while being a good sorcerer.
Doing those things nonstop made her exhausted with life. That was until she entered the Academy and met Melissa and Ivy. Then their group had turned into eight, reliving their adventures in stopping Fergus from harassing Aster even more.
Eventually, it was Cillian’s turn.
’Before the Academy, huh.’
What was his life before the Academy?
Was it the previous Cillian who enjoyed serving Fergus, or the time he was Raymond back on Earth?
For some reason, after hearing Kash and Willow’s stories, Cillian let out a soft smile and started to be honest.
"I was bored before coming to the Academy."
He started telling them about the past that they will never know.
"You see, people hated me for being a prick. I also knew that I’m not right in the head. But why? Did I live such a sad life? No, it’s actually different. I have a loving family, I am smart, top of my class, and a handsome dude. People would flock to me just to talk, yet I was still bored."
Cillian chuckled as he let out a short breath.
"Yes, I’m bored. Doing well in classes, being the center of attention, and being able to do something after just a few tries, I got it all. Yet I’m not satisfied with it. In fact, those things put me in a chokehold. By the time I realize I don’t like this attention at all, my image becomes an important thing for me. Somehow, my boring life has become much more... choking. As if an invisible rope is around my neck.
"That’s why I created another image of me. I have a hobby of being a hater of these people who might actually do well if not for me. Because of my boredom, people quit doing what they love. You know, what’s worse? I don’t even feel a single pity for them. After all, I found something that can quench this bored heart of mine. I enjoyed doing it."
A high-functioning narcissist with psychopathic tendencies.
Cillian was fully aware of what kind of person he was and recognized his flaws, yet he had no desire to change them.
He doesn’t want to.
But that led him to this position.
"But as always, every action is bound to have consequences. You can say, I got what I deserve. And now..."
Cillian looked at the three of them and smiled cheekily.
’I was killed by the author and...’
"And now, I’m here."
Full of excitement for the future and definitely not bored.
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